Healing Requires Justice
Last week, the University of Exeter’s ‘Justice and Violence Research Network’ came to CoLab to hold an event exploring ‘Critical and creative approaches to trauma-informed practice’.
The event brought together people from the University, the legal world, and both international and community organisations to talk about how we can better support those affected by trauma. This included being critical of, and questioning, some dominant ideas about what “trauma-informed” really means. The event also focused on creative methods - like collage, music, and movement - to help people heal. Speakers included lawyers, researchers, and community workers. CoLab staff took part as both participants and presenters. Our team members Lizzie and Catherine spoke about their work—first exploring the idea of using magna vitae instead of traditional CVs as a trauma-informed approach, and then about using collage as a creative method to work through trauma.
The part of the day that made me think the most was a session with Moyra Samuels and Yara Nasrany from the Grenfell NHS Health and Wellbeing Service. This service was set up to support survivors and witnesses of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Moyra is a community activist and teacher who works for the service as a community connector. Yara is a movement psychotherapist who uses dance and movement in her therapy practice. They talked about something that often comes up in their work; how hard it is for people to heal while still living with the injustices surrounding the fire and its aftermath. People using the service spoke about trying to cope with trauma in a context where businesses and institutions have faced few consequences. The injustice is twofold, first that residents of the tower were not protected and that now those responsible have still not face prosecution.
The connection between healing and justice for people accessing services at CoLab might not seem as clear at first, but it’s there. Many people have direct experience of the criminal justice system, sometimes as victims, sometimes as perpetrators, and often as both. How they struggle to access mental health services is an injustice. The lack of reliable social housing, that creates the stability needed to overcome addiction and avoid reoffending, is an injustice. The stigma faced by people with criminal justice experience and/or have used drugs, is an injustice. Even very basic things, like the lack of public toilets in our city is in a way an injustice.
What I took from Moyra and Yara’s presentation was a clear reminder: CoLab must keep providing excellent services for those most in need. But at the same time, we also have a responsibility to challenge the injustices they face. We do this by using evidence to engage with, and hold to account, the statutory partners we work so closely with. And we do it by challenging the structural inequalities that affect the people who use our services. Because healing requires justice.
Robin Jakob - Research & Impact Lead